Internal-combustion engine.



P. H. VAN HOUTEN, JR. @NTIIRIML` GOMBUSTION ENGINE. APP'LOATION FILED MAY 29, 1914.

, 1,1 Patented Mar. 30 t1915.

- power wit -fuel charge and th ingsglfigure 1 is a invention, it has been ATENT FFXCEe INTERNAIPCOMBUSTION ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 3o, 1915.

Application led May 29, 1914. Serial No. 841,875.

To all whom it may concern: Y

Be itfknown that I, FRANKl H. VAN HOUTEN, Jr., a citizen of the United States, residing at' Fishkill-on-the-Hudson, in the county of Dutchess and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Im- ,prvements in Internal `Combustion Engines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a. full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification, and to" the figures and letters of reference marked thereon.

This invention relates to internal combustion engines, the objects being to provide a light wei ht engine having a maximum a compact arrangement and an engine which, while operating to give a power im ulse on the piston-during each sti'oke, will efectually discharge the previously ignited charge before4` the admission of a new charge.

The invention contemplates an engine 1n whiehthe ignited or exploded charge will-be driven out of the working chamber of the cylinder by the rearward movement of the, piston and a new charge forced into the working chamber under an initial compres- .sion which substantially corresponds to the created by the comprespressure ordinarily sion stroke of the piston in the usual fourstroke cycle en fine. t

The engine o 'the present invention prefi erably embodies in its construction features which are customarily employed in both the four and two-stroke cycle types of engine; that is to say, the inlet and exhaust ports of the working chamber of the cylinder are valve-controlled ports, and in addition the piston controls ports for the intake of the e compression and transfer of the fuel charge to the workin: charnber of the cylinder, the construction lending itself most favorably to that type of engine known yas the opposed cylinder type.

Referring to the accompanying drawsectional plan view of an engine embodying the present improvements; and Fig. 2 is a section through the engine in a. vertical longitudinal plano through the center of the cylinders. l

Like letters of reference in both figures indicate the same paits.

ln illustrating the en ine of the present eemed unnecessary to show certain conventional features which are'well understood`inthe art and which may be varied in accordance with preferred or approved practice; thus, for example, the

'cylinders of the engine illustrated are shown without external cooling means, and it will be understood that either the ordinary w ter picketing may be employed or radiating fins, ribs, etc., should it be desired that the engine be of the air-cooled type.

ln said drawings, vthe letter A indicates the opposed cylinders which are preferably1 arranged in axial alineinent and of uniform diameter throughout. Eachrcylinder is profl vided at its outer end with a head B preferably forming the charge receiving chamber of the working chamber of the cylinder. Communicating with the charge receiving chamber in the head of each cylinder is an exhaust port C controlled by a valve c adapted to be operated by a valve cam D ro? e, it being understoo of any ordinary or the valves c and e are preferred type, such, for example, as the opening valves illustrated.

conical inwardly The piston F which is mounted to reciprocate in the cylinders is provided with an internal cylindrical chamber for each cylindei', each closed at its opposite ends bythe walls of the piston, and as' a convenient construction the central' solid portion of the piston may constitute one endv wall of the cylindrical chamber, and a head f the other end wall, said head f, however, also constitiiting the face of the piston which is exposed to the working chamber of the cylinder. Each chamber is divided by an internal fixed piston (if into compression and cooling chambers o and y respectively, and'V the compression chambers f/ are each provided ivitli a poi-t l'l adapted to register alternately with a centrally arranged intake port l and with a transfer port K. The said ports l and K are preferably located in position for the port ll to register therewith when the piston is at or approaching opposite extremes of its stroke. The intake port l' is in communication with any suitable charge forming device, such. for example, as a carburetor, andthe transfer ports K com municate through suitable transfer ducts 7c fixed position on tubular supports the escape of with the inlet ports E for transferring the compressed charge from the compression chamber-into the Working chamber of the The fixed pistons G Which'divide the piston chambers into cooling and compression compartments are preferably mounti in .arranged axially of the cylinders and rigidly mounted at `their outer ends in the cylinder heads, there 'being a suitable bearing in ther piston heads f to permit of the reciprocation of the piston while maintaining a suiiiciently tight bearing around the support to prevent re'ssure during the Working stroke of the piston.

With the construction described, it will be I apparent to those skilled in the art, that the 2, said yoke being adapted tolwork 'chamber of the cylinder,

, movement of the piston F in either direction Will'tendto create a vacuum in one of the compresslon chambers and a corresponding compression of the chargein the other' of the compression chambers. When the movable piston approaches the 4extreme of its movement, the chamber' in which vacuum During the movement 4of the piston rearwardly the exhaust valve c is opened and the burned gases are driven out by the piston, so that the Working chamber is practically cleared before the new charge is forced into the same.

While the reciprocation of the piston. may.

be converted into rotary mechanical'movement through any known or preferred arrangement, it is conveniently accomplished through a crank shaft P to which it is connected by a box p mounted to slide in a yoke Q rigidly connected with the piston, preferably at the center thereof, as shown in Fig. in a longitudinal slot lt in the side wall of the intermediate portions of the cylinders.

The crank shaft P carries a iy wheel P', 'and is adapted'to drive the valve cam D through a train of gear wheels p indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2, the proportioning of the gears being such as to rotate thevalve cam in time with thc rotation of the crank".

shaft. for with' the arrangement illustrated and described, it is designed that a power impulse shall be imparted t the piston each time it advances, or at every other stroke,

there is acylinder with a' at each end of the piston,

and inasmuch as Working chamber two impulses Willbe imparted :to the crank shaft during each revolution.

By making the supportM piston a tubular support, it iently ing medium maybe admitted'into the internal chamber of the piston, so as to `keep the.;

temperature bestwalls of the parts at a adapted for their economical `operation. Any cooling medium desired may be util;

lized, but under ordinary conditions, itis found that by leaving the outer end of the tubular support open to the air, air will be pumped into and out of the chainbers .by the reciprocation ofthe piston, and this air will carry off sufficient heat to maintain the temperature proper for ordinary `working conditions. l

lHaving thus` described mylinvention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentof the United States, is:

1. In an internal combustion engine, the combination ofthe cylinder, piston mounted to reciprocate therein and having an internal cylindrical. chamber, a fixed piston dividing said 'chamber into compression and cooling chambers, means for admitting coolingmedium into said chamber on one side of the fixed piston", means for admitfuel charge into said chamber en ting a fresh, cool i for the fixed l t may be convenutilized as the means whereby a cool-V esy the opposite side Vof the fixed piston, andA v meansv for transferring-said charge under. pressureto the combustion chamber of the.

cylinder.

2. In an interna-l combustion engine, the

combination of the cylinder, piston mounted to reciprocate therein and having an n.1--

ternal cylindrical chamber having heads at its opposite ends, a fixed piston dividing said chamber into` compression and cooling chambers, -means for admitting a fuel charge into) said chamber on one sideof said fixed piston and for transferringY the Y compressed 'charge to 'the cylind'rfat one end of .the reciprocatory piston, and a support for 'the fixedy piston extending through theY Wall of the movable piston having a passage therein for the admission of a coolingv medium to the cooling chamber. Y

3. In anfnternal combustion engine, the combination "of the cylinder. piston mounted to reciprocate therein and having an internal cylindrical chamberof greater length than the length of the pistonv stroke, a piston within 'and dividing said chamber intoy l compression andcooling chambers, a tubular support for s'ald ylast mentioned piston exftending through the 'Wall of the first' mentioned 'meansffor admitting a fuel charge into said piston and `open to the chamber,

ton therein and for transferring said charge chanibeidnihe compression side of the pisto the cylinder at one end of the reciprocatory piston, and means for igniting the charge so transferred.

4. In an internal combustion engine, the combination'of the cylinder having an intake port and a transfer port and passage leading froml a point between the intake port and end of the cylinder to the end of the cylinder, av piston mounted to reciprocate in the cylinder and having an internal cylindrical chamber With a port therein adapted to register alternately with the intake andrtransfer ports, a fixed piston in said chamber dividing the same into cornpression and cooling'chambers, and a sup` port for said piston having a duct therein communicating with the cooling chamber.

5. In an internal combustion' engine, the combination with the cylinder having vaive controlled inlet and exhaust ports at one end, an intake port nearthe opposite end, a transfer port at an intermediate point and a transfer duct connecting thetransfer and valve controlled inlet ports, of a piston mounted to reciprocate in said cylinder an-tl having a cylindricalI chamber therein with a port in position to' register alternately with the intake and transfer ports, a 4fixed piston in said chamber dividing the same into compression a tubular support for the fixed piston open at its-inner end t the cooling'l chamber.

6. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with opposed duplicate cylinders having a common intake port at an intermediate point, and independent transfer ports and ducts leading to the outer ends of the cylinders, of connected pistons mounted to reciprocate in the cylinders, each piston having an internal cylindrical chamber each providedwith a port adapted and cooling chambers, aud

to register with the inlet port and one of the transfer ports, a fixed piston in each chamber dividing the saine into compression and cooling chambers, and means for admitting cooling medium to the cooling chambers when the piston reciprocates.

FRANK H. VAN HOUTEN JB.

. Witnesses:

WALTER M. Ln RoY,. GEORGE WILLIAMSON. 

